A Dancer-driven Collective
While Manohar is based in Winnipeg, our dancers from across Canada also come together (in person and online) to collaborate and create innovative productions. Manohar Performing Arts of Canada draws on the guidance of its Artistic Director, Guru Usha Sharma for artistic execution, and Company Coordinator Dr Ganga Dakshinamurti for administrative matters.
Membership in the collective is by audition, and requires the achievement and maintenance of the highest standards in Indian classical dance (Kathak or Bharatanatyam), as well as an ability to create beyond the boundaries of the traditional dance recital canon. Manohar dancers have trained under different dance teachers, but pool their talents in running company classes and professional development series.
We are not a dance school, though we do offer ongoing training or coaching for performers; we are affiliated with certain dance schools, and feature guest artists from others. Dance continues life long. Over 30 years, the company has featured nearly 100 performers, and we will continue to welcome more
Currently Dancing with Manohar
Ganga Dakshinamurti
Company Coordinator
Ganga Dakshinamurti hails from a family of long musical heritage (composers Patnam Subramanya Iyer and K. Narayanaswami Ayyar). She trained in Bharatanatyam, Carnatic vocal music and Veena, studied Sanskrit and Indian philosophy, then became an educator and academic librarian, and holds a doctorate in Human Resources Management. As Company Coordinator since 1991, Ganga Dakshinamurti has held Manohar together with her deep understanding of Indian classical literature and culture, information literacy, intellectual property and copyright, as well as her expertise in conflict management and collaborative decision making.
Usha Sharma
Artistic Director
Guru Usha Sharma, Artistic Director of Manohar Performing Arts of Canada since 1996, is an extraordinary Kathak teacher, choreographer, poet, designer and dance historian. In the illustrious line of the Kathak Benaras gharana, she studied under the legendary gurus Gopi Krishna, Sitara Devi and tabla maestro Pandit Shanta Prasad, won the All-India Dance Competition in 1963, and performed with Sachin Shankar Dance Ballet and Birju Maharaj’s Kalakendra Company. In Winnipeg, Usha Sharma founded Jhankaar School of Dance and Music in 1995, and remains affiliated with Prayag Sangeet Samiti (Agra). Usha Sharma leads and trains all Kathak choreography in Manohar, and is the artistic eye behind all Manohar productions. Hear Usha Sharma talk about dance here!
Dramaturgy
Shyamala Dakshinamurti
Sowmya Dakshinamurti
Shyamala and Sowmya Dakshinamurti are the company’s principal dramaturges, writers and producers. Founding members of Manohar, they are also key choreographic artists and dancers in Manohar’s Bharatanatyam division. Both studied Bharatanatyam under Menaka Thakkar, Abhinaya with Kalanidhi Narayanan, Kathak with Usha Sharma, and have trained in other Indian dance genres, modern dance, and a diversity of movement vocabularies from martial arts to contact improv and aerial dance. Stemming from a lifelong interest in theatre, Sowmya and Shyamala research and co-author Manohar storyboards and scripts. In 2018, The Game (written by Sowmya and Shyamala Dakshinamurti) was selected as Sarasvati Productions’ in-house production for Winnipeg’s FemFest theatre festival. Sowmya is also involved in music selection, arrangement, and sound editing for Manohar productions, while Shyamala engages with staging and lighting design.
Manohar Voices
Sudhir Narain
Sudhir Narain is an accomplished ghazal and bhajan singer from Agra, India. Classically trained under the Late Ustad Shabbir Ahmed Khan of Agra Gharana, he has been performing for audiences all over India and worldwide for the last 30 years, and is a recipient of honours including the prestigious Begum Akhtar and Sangeet Natak Akademi awards. Sudhir Narain’s rich bass voice, impeccable command of the Urdu language and masterful delivery are perfectly suited to the romance and magic of ghazals, of which he has released several albums. He performs at art and music festivals across India, and is a key organizer of the Taj Mahotsav festival held in the shadow of the Taj Mahal. Sudhir Narain is also known for his excellence in music direction and arrangement, and has composed music for dance dramas, video and theatrical productions. He has a Master's in History from St. John’s College, Agra. Manohar Performing Arts has been gratefully collaborating with Sudhir Narain since 1997.